ASSESSMENT OF FOLLICLE DESTRUCTION IN CHEMICAL-INDUCED OVARIAN TOXICITY

The ovary plays a pivotal role in the regulation of reproductive funct ion in females. Development, maturation, and ovulation of oocytes occu r within ovarian follicles. Females are born with a finite number of u ndeveloped, primordial follicles. Chemicals that destroy oocytes conta ined in these follicles can produce premature ovarian failure (menopau se) because once a primordial follicle is destroyed, it cannot be repl aced. This article focuses on chemicals that have been shown to destro y these small follicles in laboratory animals. An ovotoxic compound of particular interest is 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH) and its epoxide metab olites. The specific information discussed here relates to various asp ects of VCH-inuced ovarian toxicity. This includes species specificity , disposition and metabolism, direct follicular effects, bioactivity o f metabolites, and long-term responses to exposure. Using these studie s as a model approach, a method for evaluation of the ovotoxic potenti al of other chemicals can be designed.